JAN Charlton was an escort girl working under the name Natasha when she first met Daniel O'Brien in the Autumn of 2000.

Charlton, 36, joined the Nottingham-based agency UK Escorts Ltd after seeing an advert in a women's magazine.

A divorcee, like Mr O'Brien, she told Leeds Crown Court she liked socialising and the work would allow her to earn extra money and spend time with her daughter Amy. She claimed she did not initially realise the work might involve sex with clients but said she would have the "ultimate choice" whether she did or not.

Soon she was having sex on regular basis with clients, charging up to £200 and would boast of her exploits.

One client described her as having "a healthy appetite for sex." One man became so obsessed with her he paid her up to £200 a month to help her pay her bills.

Charlton, who was born in Oldham, moved to West Yorkshire when she was 18 to undertake a Business Studies at Huddersfield Polytechnic but left after 18 months.

When her five-year marriage to Tony Charlton -- which gave her her only child -- broke up in 1998 Charlton descended into a life of sex with strangers.

Friends said she would go out clubbing and meeting men. One relationship ended after she was found in bed with another man.

As escort girl Natasha, Charlton had three regular clients. Her first dealing with Mr O'Brien was when she was contacted by the 41-year-old after he had downloaded her information from the company website.

Sex was routine at first, but Charlton soon became aware Mr O'Brien was involved in more extreme practices and the intensity of the relationship was a huge strain on them.

Charlton described Mr O'Brien as a "control freak" who wanted her to cut her hair, take her breast implants out and severe all contact with former friends.

Their sex life sank to deviant depths with Mr O'Brien persuading Charlton to have sex with strangers in car parks and saunas while he watched. She told of having sex with "many men" while Mr O'Brien would stand their "directing".

She thought of leaving him but on May 23, 2001 Charlton made the decision which left her lover dead and her facing five years in prison. Dressed in a bikini top, white fishnet stockings, a suspender belt, a white bathrobe and latex gloves, Charlton lured Mr O'Brien upstairs for sex.

She then repeatedly smashed the 3lb axe into her partner's skull as he knelt naked on the bedroom floor, handcuffed, blindfolded and gagged.

After hitting him 20 times she stood over his battered body and tutted. Charlton later described the killing "like swatting a fly."

Calmly she peeled off the bloodstained clothing, washed Mr O'Brien's blood from her hands and feet and left the house, taking her daughter Amy to the park.